Officials investigating inmate death at Telfair State Prison

TELFAIR COUNTY, Ga. - The Georgia Department of Corrections is investigating the death of an inmate at Telfair State Prison, according to a press release.

Humberto Hernandez, 41, suffered serious injuries in a physical altercation with another offender, according to the officials. Hernandez succumbed to his injuries while en route to the airfield to be transported to the hospital, according to officials.

Authorities say the incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Hernandez's body was transported to a state crime lab for an autopsy. The incident is under investigation, and the cause of death is undetermined at this time.

Hernandez was convicted of murder and was serving a life sentence with the eligibility of parole, according to the press release.

The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees.